How many times have you heard yourself say (or think) something very similar to this: "One of these days, I'm going to organize my closet(s)"? If not your closets, then it's your basement, attic, or garage that needs decluttering, organizing, and/or cleaning.

Question: Are you one of those homeowners (or apartment dwellers) who keeps saving things you don't need, and then finally gets around to sifting through it all when mountains of clutter have taken over your valuable storage space? If that sounds all-too-familiar, then don't worry; you're not alone! Unfortunately, the easiest thing about organizing your home is putting it off until another day.

There comes a point, though, at which clutter takes over your life. Symptoms you're moving in that direction include an inability to find things and the inexplicable disappearance of storage space (actually, there's a perfectly rational explanation for it)! So if the "clutter monster" has been rearing its ugly head in your home in recent months, here are some causes and possible solutions to the problem.

You know you have a lot of junk, but you're not sure what to do with it. Well, first of all, "one man's junk is another man's treasure," so things you no longer have any use for may be very useful to charitable groups, community fund drives, or homeless shelters. In addition to giving stuff away, you could also offer free or inexpensive things to people in your social media network, hold a yard sale, or offer gently used hand-me-downs to relatives and friends. If your unwanted stuff is actually junk (by anyone's standards), then it might be worth it to have a local junk hauling service pick it up at your house and properly dispose of it. An alternative is to rent a dumpster for a few days and fill it up at your convenience. The cost may be surprisingly affordable, and the amount of living and storage space you'll reclaim in your home will make it all worthwhile. You never know until you get a quote or two!

You just can't seem to motivate yourself to get started! Procrastination is one of the leading causes of household clutter, but there are solutions. One strategy is to announce to your significant other, best friend, or parents that you're going to devote two or three hours on Saturday (or Sunday) to straightening out your closets, basement, or garage. The value of telling someone else of your intentions is that it sort of puts you on the hook and makes you accountable. A similar approach is often used for dieting, exercising, or spending quality time with your kids. Even though two or three hours of work probably won't transform your home into a model of organization, you'll at least have gotten started and made a dent in the project. For most people, the biggest hurdle to getting organized is getting started!

Picking up a supply of inexpensive bins, storage compartments, and shelving at your local discount outlet, hardware store, or even neighborhood garage sale may also give you the nudge you need to get your decluttering plans moving forward!

When it comes to selling a house, it helps to plan ahead. By doing so, a home seller can identify and resolve potential home selling hurdles right away.

With the right approach to selling a house, any seller can minimize problems along the way. In fact, the right approach may increase the likelihood that a seller can enjoy a speedy home selling experience.

Now, let's take a look at three tips to help sellers streamline the home selling journey.

1. Price Your House Competitively

What is your house really worth? This question is difficult to answer for a home seller, as many factors impact the value of a home.

A home's age and condition likely will play important roles in your residence's value. Furthermore, external factors like the crime rates in the city or town where your home is located or your house's proximity to parks and schools may affect your residence's value.

To establish a competitive price for your house, you'll want to study the local housing market. Look at the prices of available houses that are similar to your own; this data can help you define a competitive initial asking price for your residence.

In addition, it frequently helps to perform a home appraisal. During a home appraisal, a property expert will assess your house and provide a property valuation. Then, you can use this valuation to determine the ideal asking price for your house.

2. Conduct a Home Inspection

Although a home inspection generally is completed after a seller accepts a buyer's offer on a house, there is no need to wait. Instead, a home seller can conduct an inspection prior to listing a residence to learn about a house's strengths and weaknesses.

Review the results of a home inspection closely – you'll be glad you did. After a home inspection, you can identify any underlying problems with your house and take the necessary steps to resolve these issues. That way, you can prevent such problems from cropping up after a buyer submits an offer on your house.

3. Hire a Real Estate Agent

If you are unsure about how to price your house or complete other home selling tasks, there is no need to worry. Remember, you can always hire a real estate agent who can provide plenty of support throughout the home selling journey.

A real estate agent understands the ins and outs of selling a house. As such, this housing market expert can teach you about the real estate sector and ensure you can achieve the best possible home selling results.

Typically, a real estate agent will set up home showings and open house events, negotiate with a buyer's agent on your behalf and simplify the home selling cycle. With a real estate agent at your side, you should have no trouble receiving expert responses to your home selling questions too.

Ready to add your house to the real estate market? Use the aforementioned tips, and you can reap the benefits of a speedy home selling experience.

Let's face it – clutter can be problematic, particularly for those who want to list a home in the near future. Lucky for you, we're here to help you cut down on clutter so you can add your residence to the real estate market as soon as possible.

Now, let's take a look at three tips that you can use to remove clutter before your list your residence.

1. Rent a Storage Unit

A storage unit offers a great way to protect your belongings while you sell your home. Then, once a homebuyer agrees to purchase your house, you can move your belongings from your storage unit into a new residence.

The price to rent a storage unit often varies based on the size and location of the unit. Therefore, you should shop around to find a storage unit rental that matches your budget.

Also, consider the items that you'll want to keep in a storage unit. If you find that the value of your belongings is less than the rental price of a storage unit, you may want to consider other options to declutter your residence.

2. Host a Yard Sale

A yard sale provides a wonderful opportunity to declutter your residence and earn extra cash at the same time.

Remember, one person's trash is another's treasure. Although you might no longer have a need for some belongings, these items could be valuable to the right buyer.

The best time to host a yard sale usually is a Saturday or Sunday morning. Before your yard sale, you should set up posters around your city or town to advertise your event. That way, you can stir up plenty of interest in your yard sale.

In addition, you may be able to sell items without leaving your couch. Listing some of your excess belongings online allows you to promote a broad array of items to a large audience.

3. Donate Items to Charity

If you're in a hurry to declutter, many charities may be willing to pick up household appliances, furniture and other items without delay. In some cases, you might be able to donate these items and receive a tax deduction as well.

Search for charities in your city or town and contact them directly to find out if they accept donations. Next, you can set up a date and time for a charity representative to pick up your items, or you may be able to drop off the items at a nearby location.

Decluttering your home may seem like an uphill climb, but a real estate agent may be able to provide additional assistance.

A real estate agent can evaluate your home and offer expert tips to help you declutter. As a result, you can revamp your house's interior and ensure your residence looks amazing before you add it to the housing market.

Take the guesswork out of decluttering your residence. Use the aforementioned tips, and you should have no trouble eliminating clutter from your home.

When was the last time you examined the lighting in your hallway?
For home sellers, you may want to consider revamping the lighting in your hallway. By doing so, you can brighten up your hallway, and ultimately, help make your home more appealing to prospective homebuyers.
So what does it take to improve your hallway lighting? Here are three tips to consider:
1. Add Lighting Controls.
Although you may already have a light switch to control your hallway lighting, incorporating a dimmer switch or occupancy sensor into your hallway may prove to be a great option to enhance your hallway's overall appearance.
A dimmer switch ensures you can brighten or dim your hallway as much or as little as you choose. The added control provided by a dimmer switch enables you to create a certain ambiance that you can share with homebuyers when they check out your residence.
Comparatively, an occupancy sensor detects when a person walks through a hallway automatically. This sensor may serve as a distinct feature in your home, one that may help your residence stand out in the eyes of homebuyers.
2. Incorporate Wall Sconces.
For home sellers who want to impress prospective homebuyers the moment they enter a hallway, wall sconces may serve as ideal additions.
Wall sconces come in many shapes and sizes, allowing you to select lighting that matches your hallway's décor beautifully. Also, wall sconces are available that enable you to create both up and down lighting that can give your hallway a one-of-a-kind look and feel.
Try to find wall sconces that deliver a sense of balance in your hallway. By doing so, you'll be able to utilize wall sconces that provide a superior mix of fashion and function.
3. Install Track Lighting.
Looking to brighten up a long hallway? Choose track lighting – you'll be glad you did!
Track lighting typically runs parallel to your hallway's walls and offers immense versatility. Therefore, it serves as a wonderful option for those who want to make a hallway dazzle day after day.
In many instances, you can change the direction of track lighting with ease, too. This type of lighting gives you superb flexibility, and as such, remains an exceedingly popular option in many homes.
When it comes to brightening up a hallway or any other area of your home, be sure to evaluate all of the options at your disposal. Remember, you'll want to do whatever you can to help your residence sparkle, and the right lighting may enable you to transform a dull hallway into an eye-catching one.
Lastly, don't forget to consult with your real estate agent before you perform hallway lighting improvements or other home repairs. This real estate professional likely boasts years of industry experience and will be able to guide you as you explore ways to make your home more attractive to homebuyers.
Take a close look at your home's hallway lighting, and you're sure to find many great lighting options that you can use to help your residence stand out in any real estate market.

Having lived in several tiny apartments, I know firsthand the struggle of having a cluttered bedroom. The bedroom is the room of your home you'll probably spend the most time in. You sleep there, get dressed there, and it's where you go to unwind before bed. It also houses some large furniture items: your bed, your clothing storage, and maybe even a desk or television. However, there are ways to declutter your bedroom to make it feel more minimal, open, and spacious.
In this article, we'll go over some of the ways you can arrange, paint, and decorate your bedroom to create space and build a more open and comfortable environment.

1. Colors are important

Interior decorators will tell you all about the need for light colors to make a room feel spacious. We naturally associate darkness with closed spaces--a shady patch of wood, a dark cave--whereas bright spaces tend to be much more spacious--a sprawling field or open body of water. To emulate this openness indoors, decorate your home like you would find in a field. Keep the darker colors lower to the ground like the dirt and grass in a field, and the lighter colors up higher on the walls and ceiling, like the sky above.

2. Mirrors make a difference

Most people know about the mirror trick to adding space in a room. However, the location and size of the mirror also matter. One tiny mirror in the corner of a room won't make much of a difference. However, grouping mirrors together, especially vertically from floor to ceiling, will make the bed room appear much larger, plus you'll be able to use the mirrors while getting dressed in the morning.

3. Use storage furniture

A bed frame, desk, or ottoman with storage space will allow you to keep objects out of sight and help declutter the room. For best results, use furniture items that are light in color or paint them a slightly different shade of the color of your walls.

4. Modular furniture

Modular furniture is minimal and can be built to fit your needs. With modular furniture you won't ever have more drawers in your dresser than you need. If you want a desk in your bedroom, you can buy a fold-up wall mounted desk that helps clear up room when not in use.

5. Store inside, not on top

Bedrooms tend to accumulate a lot of clutter. Before I got rid of my bedside table it was usually covered with any range of items--keys, water bottle, opened mail, pens, etc. However, now that I store everything in a bedroom drawer, I don't have to worry about those items being visible and making the room feel cluttered.

6. Ditch the big bed

Mattresses and bed frames have come a long way in recent years when it comes to minimalism. Since your bed is probably the largest item in your bedroom, it is the most important item to change if you really want to make the room more spacious. The obvious solution is to buy a smaller sized bed. However, if that isn't an option there are also many slim mattresses and bed frames with a sleek, minimalist look.